


ohp

by dumbpigeon



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Cabins, Class Trip, Confessions, F/F, Fluffy Ending, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Pining, Rivers, byakuya and makoto lowkey ruin the confession, kyoko smiles in this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:53:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumbpigeon/pseuds/dumbpigeon
Summary: Celeste huffs. "It seems that we're lost."Kyoko cranes her neck to look up at Celeste, eyebrows threaded together."I told you we lost our paddle fifteen minutes ago. What didn't scream 'we're lost' then?"(Kyoko and Celeste float down a river. Lost, but together.)
Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg, Naegi Makoto & Togami Byakuya
Comments: 2
Kudos: 64





	ohp

**Author's Note:**

> okay heres the thing. i dont typically write thh, so characters may be ooc at times? sorry, i just wanted to post something before i start working on bigger projects. 
> 
> i hope its still enjoyable :)

The lake water is warm as Kyoko skims her fingers through it. It threads through like locks of blue hair, but when she pulls her hand up to wipe sweat off her forehead, it doesn't tug at the scalp. Skin swipes against skin, and she sits down on her calves with a heavy sigh. The buoyant structure beneath her sways.

"Goodness, darling." Celeste huffs, standing shakily on the raft as she surveys their surroundings. The next two words she mutters are the worst you can hear while rafting down a river with your stupidly incident-prone class; "It seems that we're lost."

A trip to a cabin, in concept, would have been great for the 78th class.

A day to lounge near the water, and a night in a warm cabin before heading back to Hope's Peak to study for talent examinations. In concept, it seems fun. Stress relieving and a good period of time to socialize before studying takes up most of the class' free time. Though in reality, they've already had several disasters. Including but not excluded to; Owada getting sidetracked by Togami's bullshit while barbequing and successfully burning the meal, the karaoke going on in the cabin growing tense from Kuwata and Maizono getting overlyaggressive during a duet, and Ishimaru crying behind a shed due to the stress of "unorderly behavior", which Makoto spent an hour helping him cheer up again.

And now, the simple idea of "let's take the rafts on the river!" leaves Kyoko and Celeste without a paddle to guide them back; lost.

...At least the sun's still up, glowing warm and golden beyond the tree line. It hits the water in a shimmery way. It makes the whole "lost" thing a bit... prettier.

Kyoko takes her own look around, but only finds an amalgamation of green and blue. Trees melting into blue skies, green, marsh and reeds growing away into blue water, green, more green... but no sign of their classmates floating nearby. She assumes they must've drifted ahead somehow, and cranes her neck to look up at Celeste, eyebrows threaded together. Accidentally eyes a handful of how the gambler looks without those spiral hair drills on and the fine, black hairs on her nape, before asking, "I told you we lost our paddle fifteen minutes ago. What didn't scream 'we're lost' then?"

"I still saw Asahina and Ogami-san's raft at that time." Kyoko's eyes follow the twin black locks as they move accordingly to Celeste sitting down. The red irises still look elsewhere. "They can't be too far behind. Shall we wait for them?"

Ruby meets amethyst as Celeste flicks over to look at Kyoko, who is easily distracted because Celeste looks pale as a vampire in the sunlight. (In an attractive way, of course.) Her lips move into a straight line, and Kyoko moves her gaze over to the water. "The current's too strong here to try and swim our raft over to the shore, so we'll have to." The rafts were shoddy and made out of soft wood logs, so it wouldn't be littering if they decided to swim to shore and leave it behind. But the raft was apart of the cabin they rented, so who knows how much of a fine they would get for abandoning one down the river.

Celeste makes a crooning "hm" noise, and her chin tilts delicately to the sky. "We left at four, so it won't be getting dark anytime soon." Her tone lilts with a smile. "At least we're not alone." Celeste adds, and the movement of her looking back to Kyoko makes a gorgeous glint of gold hit her eyes. The red irises hold intricate layers and webs of orange and carnelian in the light.

Kyoko's heart beats a little faster, and a smile crawls it's way onto her own lips. There wasn't any fear of being lost down the river in the first place (Because they're the Ultimates of Hope's Peak Academy, and they deal with way worse shit than this. Because why would their classmates just abandon them anyways? They'll be back with the group in no time.) but if there was, that could've tamed the worry a thousand times over. "You're right." Kyoko agrees, smiling at her knees. And oh, how she wants to add, _I'm glad it's you,_ but that's a little to obvious of a step into homoerotism, so she just takes in the offer of Celeste's voice.

It's an ever loving hum to Kyoko's ears, and the "hm" swells in the gambler's throat into soft, floaty noises. She can't recognize the song, if it is a specific one, but it's silky as velvet and sounds like the wind passing them by. Kyoko doesn't dare comment on it, because this is one of those times where the end of her lips go a little wider, her cheeks press up to her eyes a little more, and it's her smile seeping through the barrier of a blank face. She doesn't want to test her vocals, just in case they go all sappy and smiley and say something similar to that earlier thought. _"I'm glad it's you"_ rings in her mind.

Their legs hang into the water, the water passes by, and their raft moves slowly with it. Celeste hums, Kyoko listens, and their hands lie just a centimeter apart.

The atmosphere surely feels romantic. Romantically taut. Kyoko knows she likes Celeste, has since sometime in the autumn, and their close moments have been... rather breathtaking ever since she realized. Hugging someone you like is different than hugging a friend. Talking to someone you like in soft, low voices is different than talking to a friend. Sitting beside someone you like, listening to them hum as your fingers scarcely touch, is... just breathtaking, and you could never feel the wings of butterflies strum against your ribs like that with a friend. And the world around them romanticizes, the sunlight lowering and coming out orange through gaps in the trees, laying on Celeste's porcelain skin and making her eyes warm and amber.

If, hypothetically, a confession slips, and if, hypothetically, an acceptance is returned, and if, _hypothetically,_ they start kissing... well, Kyoko wouldn't be opposed.

The perfect time would be right now, she thinks. If she would turn to Celeste, like a moth drawn to the fire of her eyes, and gush with full sincerity, telling her how each moment that passes makes her heart flutter faster in her chest. How whenever she calls Kyoko darling, her stomach melts in a puddle and the rest of her threatens to. And how that melting feeling is one that she wants to feel and keep forever. Then maybe Celeste would mutter, "Oh, Kyoko...", and their hands would touch and collide. Maybe their movements would flow together, as fluid as the water, and maybe they would kiss. Maybe. Possibly.

Kyoko feels the blush that has replaced the smile on her lips, a dust of pink across her cheeks. She thinks and knows, _now would be the only time._ The only time to tell Celeste. The only time that it would _feel_ right. She sucks in a heap of air through her nose, watches her chest rise and fall, and her lips part to make room for words-

But, Celeste (unfortunately) asks, "How're you feeling about examinations?" before Kyoko can say anything.

For a moment, Kyoko's blank as they look at each other. Her lip only just trembles, just a dash of the sirens wailing and going off in her head breaking through before she resorts back to the water and holes up her expression. "...I'm confident in my talent." Kyoko replies. "They never change too much in my exams. It'll probably go how it always does."

"So.. good?" Celeste jokes, puffing out a small laugh. Like she's breathless. (It's from humming. It's from humming.)

Kyoko nods, the smile pressing back onto her as notices a piece of lilac hair fall out of its tight ponytail, and over her shoulder. "I never fail, at least."

The way Celeste so easily opens her up, gets a smile out of her, is surprising, even to Kyoko. Maybe it's because they're both deceitful in that way, Celeste keeping a cover of aspiring European royalty, and Kyoko a slate of logicality with no emotion. Maybe that's what makes them feel safer to lower their veils around each other. Or maybe it's just Kyoko, and it's just that she's crushing so hard that it softens her up. (Kyoko's under this feeling, but she can't even begin to explain it. Better yet understand it.)

"What about you?" Kyoko questions this time. "What's an Ultimate Gambler's exam like?"

All the talent examinations are, needless to say, personalized to that specific Ultimate. While contents of an exam vary from talent to talent, there's typically a physical show of skill, and a written part in the exams. For example, an Ultimate Swimmer would have to display their skills in a pool, and display knowledge in a written exam. While for a talent like the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the exam would be an all-written display. Kyoko's has physical and written elements to it, but when thinks of a gambler's exam, she doesn't know what to think. Celeste's talent examination has many possibilities and options to test because of her Ultimate.

Celeste adjusts the straps of her swimsuit. (It's black, with flowers. The flowers look folded, and almost geometrical, like the outlines of red and white origami hibiscuses.) "My exams are quite simple, actually." She admits. Though when Kyoko gives her a doubtful look, she fixes to, "The set-up is, at least. They give me a game, like poker or blackjack, and supervise me playing it. Afterwards I have to write a report, but that's all."

It sounds fitting, so Kyoko nods. "My exam is similar to that." She comments, her hand moving away from the raft. Her fingers warble and blur under the water. "Minus the gambling, of course."

She hears Celeste laugh, and it sounds genuine. Not a small, closed mouth laugh, that's petty and condescending, but a laugh that comes out in small jerks of her shoulders and hitches with a breath. Kyoko smiles, this time a bit more naturally, because it's warmer than the sun hitting their skin. Than the water on her fingertips. It slides and drips off of her hands in small droplets onto the raft, soaking the wood in dark spots. And her hand moves confidently from the water, but it falters as it hovers above Celeste's.

Hands. Hands. Hands. Touching? She breathes, and the water drips down, so she'd be caught either way, and places her palm on top of Celeste's hand.

It immediately garters the attention of the gambler. Of course it does. Celeste's lips part in a surprised, attractive way, her eyes darting down to the contact before up to Kyoko. And Kyoko panics slightly, her own lips opening but not letting any noise past. She doesn't look nervous, the only tell she has is the way her hand tenses, but inside her brain explodes and all her thinking flushes down the brain-drain in a muck of pink. Her mind is left with only her senses, instincts and small, pestering thoughts, and she tries to turn off all the red, wailing alarms and get things back in order.

Celeste could totally reject Kyoko.

The confession, while in the best moment, could mess up in the worst ways. She could mess up in her explanation and make a fool of herself.

And what if it's unrequited? What if this ruins their friendship?

"Celeste, I-" Kyoko pauses, and purses her lips shut. God, she should've practiced this.

Celeste gives a playful expression. "Kyoko, you?" She says as a question, and Kyoko breathes out a laugh, because it's her turn to be breathless.

"Celeste.." And she pauses again, because the sirens stop and she has a moment to recuperate. "I really like-"

"Hey, girls!"

Kyoko snaps her hand to her lap, and flips her head over her shoulder. The butterflies around her heart are hammering in her chest, like she could topple over from how harshly their wings beats alongside with her heart's pulses, but the figure of Makoto waving at them in the distance is oh so clear, with Togami manning the paddle behind him. Kyoko buffers as her brain wails again and dies while Celeste maneuvers to face the oncoming raft.

"We weren't left for dead after all." Celeste muses, as if nothing had happened. Kyoko is blank-faced with only brain mush beside her.

Makoto laughs. "Yeah, sorry about that! Fukawa-" Togami stands up beside Makoto, says something, and shoves the paddle into Makoto's hands while the shorter laughs. Makoto dips the paddle back into the water, and pulls them forwards. Togami sits and looks like a moody cat in swim trunks.

"Fukawa-san passed out on her raft, haha." Makoto says, in a casual way, because... well, actually, Fukawa passing out is normal. "We had to help her back to shore, and-"

"We don't care about that thing," Togami cuts in, his mood somehow worse than earlier, "So, since I noticed your absences, we went to find you two."

Makoto says something about Togami not speaking on his behalf, since most of the others were tending to Fukawa, and he wanted to help find the missing Celeste and Kyoko. Togami scoffs, says something pretentious, and they squabble while paddling towards the gambler and brain mush pair. Celeste chimes in with her petty, "I'm enjoying this because they are idiots" laughs, and Kyoko zones out because she's burning. The sun on her back and the heat from her hand trailing up to her face and everywhere, burning. 

She thinks she's going to shrivel up in fire, before Makoto's wood platform bumps against theirs, and she's back to attention.

"You guys are alright, yeah?" He asks, handing the paddle to Togami so he can rope together their rafts. "We didn't take too long?"

Kyoko blinks, realizes she suddenly does not understand human English, and Celeste answers for them. "We're fine." Kyoko's surprised the smile shot her way doesn't turn her to ashes.

"We could've taken till sundown. Be grateful." Togami adds in a huff, and Makoto gives him a "what the fuck" look as he finishes the knot.

Celeste just smiles wider. "We're taking the fine of the lost paddle out of your bank account." Her eyes crease. "Paddle faster."

Togami pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, grits out a quiet "I'm rich, it doesn't matter", then turns and digs the paddle back into the water.

Celeste and Makoto talk, smiling, while Togami and Kyoko lay on the outskirts of their conversation, silent. Makoto is very insistent on trying to get either into talking, but Togami just mutters complaint and insult, while on the other hand Kyoko lets incomprehensible and mismatched words fall out of her mouth.

"It's. Well. Ohp. Sometimes. You. She. Yeah."

Makoto laughs at her brainless spluttering, and turns towards Togami's legs. "Byakuya, I was thinking.."

And that branches off into it's own conversation, and Kyoko swallows roughly, because Celeste and Kyoko are silent now.

She wonders if Celeste actually forgot the whole palm-on-hand plus almost-confession-but-got-cut-off ordeal. But realizes no, that's stupid, how could she forget something so flustered and blushy. Well, maybe if she somehow suppressed the memory immediately. Can you suppress a memory that quickly? Why would she want to do that? She could probably put use to it as blackmail. Celeste is probably ignoring it for now, so that she can blackmail Kyoko into making her royal milk tea whenever she wants. Kyoko presses her eyes shut, thinking, _please don't blackmail me,_ because brain mush.

"Darling." Celeste's voice train wrecks Kyoko's thoughts. Her eyes crack open, and oh, that's a hand on her shoulder. Then she looks at the arm connected to the hand, and how it connects to Celeste, and how maybe someone who looks at pretty as her wouldn't need to blackmail someone into into making tea for her.

Her voice lowers to a whisper, and she leans towards Kyoko. The black locks of hair sway. "We should kiss when we get off this raft."

Kyoko smiles like an idiot.


End file.
